Strings on my SX1 are too far from pick-up

Liz Williams · From: California, USA

I'm really pleased with this guitar - its loud, the fit and finish are excellent, and the strings line up with the pick-up pole pieces perfectly. The stock pick-up sounds good, even though the strings are 3/8 of an inch above it. That's what I'd like to change.

I've seen several threads that suggest raising the pick-up with foam or lowering the bridge. Is one of these approaches better than the other? Easier? Please give me your recommendations along with the specifics of how to accomplish them. I'm pretty handy and like a challenge.

I've got the fire-engine red SX1 with the smaller single-coil pick-up:
http://www.rondomusic.com/lap1fr1.html

Thanks in advance.

Frank Welsh · From: Upstate New York, USA

I used foam to raise the pickup on my SX-2 and it worked just fine. I personally wouldn't want to lower the strings since I want the same string height above the fretboard throughout the length of the string. It not only "looks right" to me but eliminates any parallex issues that might result in bar placement over the length of the fretboard (unintended visual misalignment with the fret/position marker).

It should be an easy fix. I like to have no more than a 1/16 inch clearance between the bottom of the strings and the pole pieces of the pickup. Just don't place the pickup too close to the strings since those exposed pole pieces can be fairly powerful magnets, depending on the pickup.

Liz Williams · From: California, USA

Thanks for that perspective, Frank. I'd like to try it. What kind of foam do I use?

Frank Welsh · From: Upstate New York, USA

I used some black foam-like stuff that I think I got in a craft store. It's about 1/16 of an inch thick and I just cut out a few pieces and layered them under the pickup to get the desired height. It's not the really soft foam that you would get for sealing around an air-conditioner, but is a bit firmer. I recall buying a few sheets from an art's and crafts store specifically for the purpose of raising the filtertron pickups on a Gretsch guitar but it also came in handy for the lap steel.

There are probably other semi-pliable substances that you could find in the craft section of a department store that would serve your purpose.

Liz Williams · From: California, USA

Semi-pliable substances - excellent! I'll see what I can find. Thank you for your help with this.

Jim Williams · From: Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!

These are great little guitars for the money Liz. I changed my pickup to a dual blade humbucker and raised it using dense packing foam. My foam actually was a space filler in a cell phone case I think. A piece of the foam used for house insulation would work too, but some of it has a possibly conductive skin on it. Heck, if you can't find anything else, a couple of thicknesses of corrugated cardboard would even work.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal.

Liz Williams · From: California, USA

I was surprised to like it so well. I needed something I can travel with that I can replace if it gets mangled. It's a bonus that my electric ukulele fits in the compartment for the legs. I'm tightening up all the screws before I change the strings. Everything is loose!

I know several members here want an 8-string version. I'd be happy with a circuit that allows me to plug my headphones into it. My Teton electric uke has that, and it's a great way to pass the time while on the road.

The more I look at that bridge, the more I like the Rukavina replacement bridge. All those moving parts make me tense: They either going to shift, or rust. Or both.

For now though, I'm on the hunt for some foam. Thanks for all the tips.

Kekoa Blanchet · From: Kaua'i

Jim Williams · From: Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!

I have an elcheapo knockoff of that little amp called a flanger with a rechargeable battery. If you want one of these, spend the extra bucks and buy the vox. Mine doesn't hold a charge and I've already had to fix a broken wire. They do actually work pretty well though.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal.

Liz Williams · From: California, USA

You've all been so helpful - thank you so much. Kekoa, I just bought one of those Vox twin headphone amps. I'll report back about how it goes. And I raised the pickup with some cardboard, so I'm all ready for new strings, which I'll find today.

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